Examining Why Sidney Crosby is Such a Bitch

Q: When you knocked Voracek’s glove on the ice and hit it away was that just out of frustration?

“I don’t like any guy on their team there. It was near me and he went to pick it up and I pushed it.”

Q: Why don’t you like them?

“I don’t like them, because I don’t like any guy on their team so.”

Q: The fighting and such was that you trying to spark their team a little bit?

“Yea, guys are emotional and there is a lot of stuff going on out there. There is no reason to explain. I don’t have to sit here and explain why I pushed a glove away they are doing a lot of things out there too. You know what, we don’t like each other. Was I going to sit there and pick up his glove? What was I supposed to do?”

Q: You could skate away.

“Skate away? Oh well I didn’t that time.”

It’s hard to put into words how much of a bitch Sidney Crosby is, but the Penguins’ captain just did a pretty good job of it.

As so eloquently described by Chris Therien on the Flyers radio broadcast, Crosby was in the middle of – or started – nearly every skirmish that occurred in Game 3. For real, he was everywhere. Like if Kristen Wig’s Gilly was a hockey player, only without being funny or curiously hot. Just everywhere, startin’ shit– that’s Crosby. And not in that oh, I’d love to have that guy on my team way, but in that that guy is going to get one of us killed way.

Two sequences come to mind: the first period scrum that ensued following Crosby taking three two-handed whacks at Ilya Bryzgalov’s glove, and the third period fraces (that’s a combination of fracas and feces— see also: shitstorm) that he escalated to an absurd level.

Let’s start with the one from the first period.

Amazingly, Crosby managed to accomplish all of this in under one minute and 25 seconds. Let me make that clear: Crosby managed to perform all of the following in under one minute and 25 seconds. .GIFs, for your viewing pleasure:

That’s hard to do, folks. He took three whacks at Ilya Bryzgalov, needlessly shoved away Jakub Voracek’s glove, instigated a fight with Kimmo Timonen, and waited until linesmen jumped in before firing uppercuts and a cheap shot at Claude Giroux… all in less than the time it takes for Dan Bylsma to position his glasses ever-so-perfectly on the bridge of his nose.

If Giroux accomplished a Gordie Howe Hat Trick on Sunday, then Crosby hit for the Menstrual Cycle.

There was even a little bit of blood as he yapped at Giroux from the penalty box:

G just laughed:

Crosby wasn’t done.

In the third period, he engaged Brayden Schenn while a scrum developed near the benches. Instead of fighting the Flyers rookie, Crosby just held him and worked in cheapies where he could.

Then, a few minutes later, he bear-hugged Scott Hartnell, which started the most egregious Penguins offense of the night: Craig Adams throwing haymakers at a defenseless Hartnell… and pulling his hair.

Video of that full mess here. At around the 3:10 mark, you can hear someone – Craig Berube? - yell, "Schenner, fuck him the fuck up!" That's fun.

Hartnell after the game:

Q: Where does this game rank for you as far as craziness with the fights and everything, especially in the first period?

“Right up there. We knew it was going to be an emotional game but I think that the level that they took it to was not hockey. It’s not what you want to see in hockey…cross-checks in the face, one of their best players, Neal, going up near a couple of guys heads…It’s scary when it comes down to that level. It’s not fun to play with that kind of stuff. You ask the best player in the world, Sidney Crosby, what they were thinking out there and he said ‘well, that’s playoff hockey,’ end quote. For me, that’s not playoff hockey. It’s dangerous hockey, it’s trying to hurt some people out there and it’s scary, you’ve got to keep your head up at all times. Crosby comes in and grabs me from behind and another guy comes and throws about eight bombs at the back of my head. I’m no worse for wear myself but…We’ve got the advantage right now, we’ve got to finish them off here at home. “

Q: Was that the dirtiest you’ve ever seen a team in the playoffs that you’ve faced?

“I think after every scrum we made it a point to walk away every time and I think Crosby started almost every scrum. You know, the fight that he had with Giroux, the last one he came and grabbed me from behind and for almost every thing he was out there. If they’re trying to get under our skin, they’re not. They’re just getting more frustrated with themselves, which is great.”

PMS will make you do some crazy things. Fucking Cindy…I love how Giroux was just like “I ain’t even mad” for the rest of the day. Star player: doing it right. Regardless of what happens in game 4 and beyond, we bent them over and just went to town. No lube.

If Crosby fights Schenn, there’s a good chance Schenn gets suspended for Game 4 by instigating a fight with less than 5 minutes left (bullshit I know but follow me on this)
In other words, if Crosby fights he would have HELPED HIS TEAM for Game 4.
He backed down like a bitch.

It really was a melodramatic pissing match, but I can’t imagine the Penguins like having to scrum because Crosby doesn’t have the discipline to not react. Losing Letang for the game was a big blow, early. Add Crosby’s concussion history, these players have to focus on protecting him.

NHL.com has on their site based on the rules, Asham is out for game 4. Adams should be out for game 4 because he got an instigator in the last five minutes and rules dictate that he should be out. Neal may be out depending on the Czar of Discipline’s ruling. The Flyers played the game like a classy organization, not the Penguins. Mario should be disgraced with his team and like he said last year in February, maybe he should be out of hockey because his team acted like the Islanders. Totally disgusting. Crosby lost all control and was classless. I think that is what G said to him when he was pointing at the “C”. I just hope they don’t go head hunting in game 4 and act like a bunch of morons.

3 Finger Lenny’s 5 Key Points from Sunday:
1)Fake Hulk Cy Clark is very lucky I did not find him yesterday.
2) So pu$$y down there yesterday
3)chicks were putting out @ xfinity live
4) I’m sweating the alchol out like a pig in work this morning.
5) Crosby needs to get knocked the f out wed night. his career needs to come to an end.

@ Alex: Totally agree.
That was the most classless & gutless display by a playoff team that I have ever witnessed.
If that had been the Flyers, I would be embarrassed to be a fan.
How any Pens fan can respect or root for THAT team is a mystery. Punks.
Time to end their season on Wednesday.
And if Neal isn’t suspended for 5 games (although there will not be 5 more games for the Pens), there is something seriously wrong.
Of all the teams in the NHL, for the Pens to be taking intentional shots to the head of opposing players? Just disgusting.
If they are going to do that, then someone should just lay Crosby out hard. Period.
Can you even imagine what would have happened if one of our players had done to Crosby what Asham did to Schenn or Neal did to Cooter AND Giroux???

The fact that the NHL’s beloved Boy Scout has become a gangbanger in this series is conclusive proof that the Flyers are firmly in the head of Crosby and the rest of the Penguins. I consider that a good thing.

@Alex, I completely agree.
What happened yesterday is that the Penguins finally realized that we are better than them from the top down. From Holmgren to Lavs to Bryz, we are the better organization. They don’t know how to handle a team that steps up to them and plays them like they are any other team. We got under their skin as we have all season, and they finally lost it.
Once Letang was out and we continued to shut down Crosby and Malkin, the Penguins showed that they are truly nothing but trash. As a hockey player, it was disgusting to watch the game be played the way it was and the Penguins franchise and fans should be embarrassed.

After the bullshit suspensions Shanahan handed out yesterday… just one game to Carkner (Ottawa) for sucker punching, gloves off, Boyle in the face several times before continuing the onslaught as Boyle fell to the ground… but 3 games for Hagelin elbowing Alfredsson in the head?! And a measly $2,500 fine for Weber ramming Zetterberg’s head into the glass… WWE turnbuckle style?!
There is no way Neal misses Game 4. He’ll get fined. They will already be short 2 useless assholes (Adams and Asham). It’s total bullshit cause he is just as big as an asshole as the rest of them.
The Penguins are a disgrace.

I’m so happy Sidney Crosby has finally allowed his true colors to show so clearly. No longer is he an innocent, shining superstar. He has faded indeed, into something so classless and undeserving of any real respect. Kind of like Pluto. In fact, that is your new nickname Sid, Pluto.

We just bent the Penqueens over. And they liked it.April 16, 2012 at 10:37 am

The NHL has the right to rescind the auto suspension that Adams received if they believe no intent to ‘send a message’ was motivation. You can book it, Adams won’t be suspended. And Neal won’t even be a mention.

Crosby is a petulant little whiny bitch for sure, but at least he stayed on the ice for that last scrum. Neal railroaded two guys and got off the ice quicker than Malkin says yes to tube steak.
The Punkguins have no class, led by their coach, who has no clue as to what he is doing right now.

Once again another game where Crosby started fights that he couldn’t/wouldn’t even participate in. He started shit with Schenn, Hartnell and Timonen and hid behind the refs/other players (or in Hartnells case, kept holding his head so Adams could sucker punch him) when the time came to nut up and drop the gloves. He was at the center of EVERYTHING and barely had to answer for it at all. No offense to G, but that was barely a fight, more of a tussle that got a little out of hand.
I get that teams protect their superstar players all the time. No problem with that. Skill sometimes puts a target on your back and you don’t want those guys getting hurt, much less fighting all the time. But Bundy is right…Darling of the league or not. Concussion problems or not: If you’re going to behave like that, which he does on a constant basis, then you deserve to get your fuckin head ripped off and put on a stick at the entrance to Xfinity Live for all to spit on. Hes the face of the league, and for better or worse, the league goes as he goes. Crosby played in the gutter, and being the captain/face of the league, his teammates followed suit. He should be just as responsible and criticized for his spineless actions as he is heralded for his skill/achievements if hes going to be the leagues poster boy.

Flyers fans calling out another organization for being classless is either really ballsy or stupid.
The Flyers organization has been the epitome of classlessness for years and will continue to be.
Go ahead and say all you want, you just come across as a typical fan of a Philadelphia sports team, ignorant and entitled.

Hey whistler. You can keep latching onto the tired broad street bullies reputation that expired about 30 years ago, but everyone else has moved on. Post lockout, the pens have been the dirtiest scum in hockey…Wanna talk about ignorant and entitled? The first paragraph of an open letter from PITT fans to Penguins management about yesterdays activities:
“The way in which to Penguins conducted themselves in Philadelphia on Sunday validates every criticism that members of media and other fanbases have espoused in the post lockout era. We have been called entitled, spoiled & arrogant. Those critiques were turned into indisputable facts with our absolute lack of discipline, class and professionalism.”http://www.pensburgh.com/2012/4/15/2950810/an-open-letter-to-penguins-management
Kindly fuck yourself.

Ok, one this is a Flyers fan site so everything is a bit biased no matter what, two I am a penguins fan and have been since I was a child watching Mario, I will remain being a fan even after yesterday.
I agree that yesterday was not a display of hockey by us at all! It was a classes act of no heart and no game. It was embarrassing to say I was a fan yesterday. I hope they do learn from all this and change some things, but someone needs to go into that locker room and give it to them. That was disappointing to say the least, and we need our lines to go back to how they were when Crosby was out and everyone actually played with heart. Sit Crosby down and lets play some hockey.

Mostly there is something seriously wrong with Crosby…Concussions–way too many & now he is risking the safety of his team mates by starting shit he can’t finish. Grow up and let’s play hockey. oh and no more hair pulling! come on wednesday!

@Pens fan no matter what
I for one wouldn’t knock you for continuing to be a Pens fan. If it’s what you know and who you want to cheer for, no one can stop you.
I would like to give you kudos for coming on and saying – as a Pens fan – that yesterday was unacceptable. People can say whatever they want about the “Bullies” from the 70’s or any other Flyers team for that matter. I love the Flyers but first and foremost, I love hockey. Yesterday was indeed a “classless act” by the Pens.
I work with someone who is a Pens fan and I said to her, the same thing I will say to you – I feel sorry for the fan base that had to look at that display and watch your team let you down with their actions. I can’t believe how many Pens fans are coming out and bashing the team. For their sake I hope the organization and the players apologize for letting down not only their own fanbase but also for the absolute embarrassment they caused to the game of hockey.
Still one of the best rivalries in sports and that won’t change!
Let’s Go Flyers!!

you guys are ridiculous. I won’t say anything about the series because it’s impossible to deny that the Flyers are making the Pens look like a minor league team. I’m fairly convinced, though, that you would all gladly accept Sid onto your team. You can’t criticize his skills so you find anything else to talk about. First it was that he was soft. Now he gets in the middle of everything and he’s a bitch. I just want one of you to honestly say that you wouldn’t take his talent on your team.

@Jeff
I wouldn’t. I’ve said for several years if I had a choice between Sid and Malkin, I’d take Malkin.
No one is disputing his skills. He’s an extremely skilled player. I respect that. What I can not respect is how he actually plays the game. I know you won’t like this being a Pens fan, but Sid has always played with arrogance and a sense of entitlement because the NHL put him up on a pedestal, protected him (please don’t try to deny that), and made him the face of the League. Then in 2009, the heads of the league were elated because he had won the Cup.
Fast forward 3 years. Instead of growing as a player, he has held on to his arrogance, sense of entitlement, and all-around “my shit don’t stink” attitude. That attitude doesn’t belong on the Philadelphia Flyers. Has their been problems on Flyers teams in the past? Of course! But those problems are not from players who have been made to believe that they are above the letter of the law and other players should just accept it. Doesn’t fly in the Orange & Black locker room.
And I know you are saying this on a Flyers/Philly blog, but I’m going to guess that after yesterday, about half of the teams in this league would express the following- we wouldn’t want him on our team either.
Skills or no skills, it should be about the team, not ONE GUY. And that is definitely not the case in Western PA.

A BS article that is obviously slanted for Philadelphia readers and fans. No credibility is due to the author. I am a Bruins fan but understand why nobody likes Crosby (because he is a good hockey player). Flyers fans should quit their bitching because their team is not the cleanest in the NHL. And Crosby proved hes no bitch last night

Hello there cryers, feeling good are we? Sooooooooo.. this is what i think in some light of it all. I had noticed in the coming days when Crosby came back to play ,and was ready. All of a sudden all hell broke fire, people and the media got their panties in a uproar. I think they all thought Sidney was done, his hockey days were over. Now i am not going to say i was proud how things went at the game. But so what if Crosby started some of it, almost every hockey game i have watched there is always someone in that mood. What Asham and Neal done i can understand their punishment. No matter what i don’t like to see anyone hurt, and what Asham did it could have been Fatal. But Please… Fartnell crying over his hair being pulled is kinda..well…Pathetic to say the least. It is what it is. If the Cryers win a 4th game and end it for My team, it’s going to be interesting to see if they have to play the New York Rangers, or even the Jersey Devils next. Karma can be a Bitch, and you can bet your bottom dollar i am going to love seeing the Cryers cry all the way back home with Nothing. My team went down to the Level as the cryers play, so i am disappointed cause i know were better than that. It does not matter what the media says of what happened that day. Crosby and Malkin are the two best players in the National Hockey League. There’s still more hockey to be played, If any team can pull out of this it is my Beloved Pittsburgh Penguins! How YINZ like that? LOL And Anyone who speaks about a guy who is battling Cancer the way SOME of you Filthadelphians do only proves what i said earlier about going to the level of your Cryers.

Tiffaney, stop. Just…just stop it. You’re trying to mask your wounds with bullshit “Flyers fans suck blah blah blah” on a FLYERS FAN WEBSITE. Are you kidding me? How about you go cry to your own people over in Shittsburgh and leave us to our own opinions about your turd of a captain. We’ve hated him for years and now this hatred has reached it’s peak. I say peak because I honestly believe his career will not last until Thursday since that shield of “I have a concussion” is now long gone. He has nothing left to hide behind because the refs and his teammates can’t protect him a full 60 minutes. He will be targeted by some of the best hitters in the league on Wednesday and they will get the lead out on him. I can’t wait until we take the absolute last bastion of penguins faith you have…the “face” (or is it “ass?” …idk) of your organization. I shall enjoy every single second of it.
p.s. what was your attendance when the pens were terrible? averaged about 11,000 a couple seasons no? You know what our average was when we were terrible that one season of the last 2 decades? About 19,000. we pretty much still sold out game after game even though we were bad. We didn’t settle at being terrible while racking up draft picks like the pens did. You should have lost that franchise 13 years ago you were so awful. I’m not even mad though, I genuinely feel sorry for you fans. Must suck to worship losers.

@Tiff…really?
I didnt even read all your BS because your a moron. Your going to come on to our site and try to call us Cryers when your #1 player is the biggest whining little bitch in the NHL? Even the players themselves voted him as the biggest crybaby. Your star players receive star treatment every year from the NHL and get away with murder. They are scum, they are dirty, and they are little pussies.
Your team is now the dirty team in the NHL, you and all your dumbass fans can continue to try and call us the Bullies and dirty players when we havent been a dirty team for years. Pittsburgh is now that team and while you struggle to accept that we sit here and laugh because it must be tearing you apart inside knowing that you have become the team that you hated…and what is this Karma shit your talking about? Karma is catching up to you and your team. Not only have we been the better team but we have been the classier team.
Wonder what Mario has to say about his embarrising team he put on the ice the other night. I would love to hear what he has to say.
Crosby is the “face” of the NHL…he just embarrased himself and the NHL the other night on national TV…
PS stop with the stupid ass cancer guy. Nobody cares, good for him that hes battling and beat cancer, we didn’t bring that up and were not making fun of him for it. just because he has cancer doesnt mean hes excused from being made fun of for being an ass…
Pittsburgh has some of the dumbest fans in the NHL…makes sense though since they only started watching hockey since what? 2004?

@Jamaal, hence the name Crossing Broad…Broad Street?? Yeah, just in case you didn’t know, that’s in Philadelphia. Also, you have no room to talk about “clean” teams if you’re a Bruins fan. Seriously, now. And I haven’t heard of anyone who hates players like Mario or Gretzky. Being great brings respect and fear. Being a whiny, arrogant crybaby who starts fights and expects his teams goons to back him up is what brings hatred. OH btw, did you know Chara can fit 4 in his mouth?

Tiffaney, holy crap! Even I had the common sense to understand this is Flyers territory and to show respect. Rival fans can still be civil outside the rink. At least we all love the same sport.
Even being a true fan there is no way you can be happy with our showing on Sunday. Even if one was to believe that the Flyers were still Bullies and act as such then it would be even worse for you to believe that we stooped to that level and be happy about it. It just makes you look like an even worse hypocrite.

Pot call the kettle black much here?
You people are pure comedy! The hypocrisy of you marshmallow brains is incredible.
The way the Penguins have played as this series has progressed is obviously not a good thing for themselves or hockey. But that doesn’t change the fact that while no team in hockey is squeaky clean, the Penguins have been a pretty well managed and coached team by history and not a team of goons by any stretch. Right now they are frustrated, have a goaltending breakdown and have lost their confidence and wits to the better team, the Flyers.
But that doesn’t negate the fact that the Flyers are by history and reputation, a team that has been identified by goon behavior, by team and coaches and management.
So please Flyers fans, don’t be a mirror of hypocrites like Hartnell, that dude isn’t fooling anyone but you. Crying, name-calling, blaming, shit-talking, whining and chest-pounding while blaming someone else for the same doesn’t hurt those guys anymore than they’ve hurt themselves, it only makes you all look like complete hockey morons and complete hypocrites.

This is BS. You made Philly sound like angels. I don’t know if you are too air headed to realize this but Pittsburgh and Philadelphia aren’t exactly skipping into a sunset holding hands. They have one of the biggest team rivalries in NHL. Pens are aware that Philly is a rough team and they are retaliating. Don’t even get me started on the Flyers fans! They freaking boo their own team when they’re losing! They chant “Crosby Sucks” and freak out during fights. And do you know what the big bullies the Penguins do when we’re losing? We clap anyway and chant the appropriate “let’s go Pens”. We cheer and worry about our players when they fight and we even cheered when we played against former Penguin Jordan Staal. Sidney Crosby is the current Mario Lemieux. He is the best player in the NHL and no one can deny that. He became a captain when he was what, 20? He “complains” to the refs all the time because he knows what he’s taking about and can reason with them. He pushes someone’s helmet away with his stick. FREAKING GET OVER IT!! Every hockey player has had that one bitchy moment. Flyers hate us as much as we hate them so don’t tell us how much of a bitch Crosby is.

Thank you finally a person who has reason. Seriously. You are exactly right they did make them sound all good and shit. When have people ever seen Sidney Crosby cry. He got a concussion and didn’t cry. He got hit in the face with a puck and didn’t cry. Wtf. Flyers fans are jealous because we have the modern day Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux COMBINED. Yeah if Flyers fans are so angel like then why are they saying that they need to end Sidney Crosby’s career. That sounds really nice doesn’t it. You know how much shit the flyers would get themselves into if they even touched Sidney Crosby. And the only reason Sidney Crosby doesn’t fight is because they have people fight for him. They’re not going to lose their franchise player in a fight from a broken hand or jaw etc. Wayne Gretzky’s team did they same along with the 90’s penguins with Mario. Flyers are too dumbass to realize that they suck. Current standings: Pens=1 Flyers=3. Flyers sucking ass since 75.

At least Sidney Crosby has a Stanley Cup Ring. The last Stanley cup that the gay ass flyers won was when my mom and dad were five years old. You call that shit being a good team.
Wayne Gretzky even said in an interview that the only reason the NHL use composite sticks is because if they didn’t the players wouldn’t be able to get the puck out of Sodney Crosby’s possession. You say giroux can fuck Crosby up. That’s a lie. Sidney Crosby has 4-0 in his fights. That’s right he never lost one fight yet. Giroux hasn’t won one yet. I’m done. #kissthering #thecrosbyshow

just watching world championship CAN vs. CZE and crosby is acting like soccer idiot. total looser, not real captain or even star. This is not acceptable in ice hockey. its so stupid. definitely not a good player. just looser

Probably the greatest thing about Crosby was never the skill, the vision, or the smarts… it’s always been that he constantly seeks to improve.

As a Penguins fan, and a hockey fan, that playoff series against the Flyers that year was sad to watch. Some of the worst hockey I’ve ever seen (on both sides–I remember how shocked Flyers fans were when they were quickly dispatched in the next round, and how much that baffled me). But more than that, I remember how disappointing it was to watch the Penguins, and Crosby particularly, get taken COMPLETELY off of their game by an inferior team that successfully OWNED the Penguins’ emotions. And I said, at the time, “Crosby will learn from this, and he will come back better for it.”

I personally think, I really do, that Crosby has the Flyers to thank for his development into a player that RECOGNIZES when inferior players try to level the ice by baiting him into childish antics. They embarrassed the Penguins that year, but they’re probably the reason Crosby won his second Cup (and maybe any beyond that).

Flyers fans have always been funny in their analysis of Crosby (“he whines too much,” they whine, “and he’s DIRTY because he fights back!”) But the best player in the world shouldn’t fight back, he should SCORE. I would have preferred that it was a lesson he never had to learn, and, if he had to learn it, I would have preferred he hadn’t had to learn it from the Flyers (only because I live locally, and had to listen to clueless fans talk up the Flyers for about a week).

But, as a Penguins fan, as a hockey fan, the lesson he took was clear, and it’s been amazing to watch.